TONIGHT: The Barons play their final game before the All-Star break and wrap up a 3-game trip with their first visit of the year to face the Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks). The Barons are winless in the first 2 games of the trip after an 8-2 setback in Milwaukee last night and a 5-4 shootout loss in Grand Rapids on Wednesday. This is the first of 4 meetings between OKC and Rockford. The Barons have 44 points, 4th in the South Division and 10th in the Western Conference. Rockford (42 points) is tied for 3rd in the Midwest and tied for 11th in the conference.

OFF THE TOP: Last night’s 8-2 loss at Milwaukee set a Barons club high for goals allowed in a game, eclipsing the old mark of 7, which had occurred twice. OKC’s 46 shots were their third-highest total this season and the third time in the last 8 games they’ve had 45 or more. In 8 games since the departure of Jordan Eberle, Justin Schultz and Taylor Hall to Edmonton the Barons are 1-5-1-1. Olivier Roy made his fifth-straight start last night, but was removed after Milwaukee built their lead to 3-0 at 11:35 into the second period. Tyler Bunz, recently up from ECHL Stockton, made his AHL debut and allowed 5 goals while making 10 saves. Toni Rajala and Taylor Fedun figured in both OKC goals, which came on the power play. Rajala had a goal and an assist and Fedun had a pair of helpers for his first AHL multi-point game.

BARONS-ICEHOGS: OKC is 8-1-1-0 all-time against Rockford and has won all 5 games contested at BMO Harris Bank Center. Last season, the Barons won a pair of games in a 10-day span at Rockford, 5-4 on Nov. 16 and 3-1 Nov. 26. The IceHogs toppled the Barons in overtime Jan. 13 at the Cox Center 2-1 before OKC wrapped up the season series with a 5-2 decision March 13.

MARTINDALE’S MOMENTUM: Ryan Martindale has the Barons’ longest current point streak at 4 games, tallying 3 goals and 2 assists in that span. Martindale has goals in 3 of the last 4 games, those goals being his first in the AHL. With a point tonight would he would match his career best point streak, which was 5 (4G, 2A) with the ECHL’s Stockton Thunder last season from Dec. 16-30. The second-year pro, but AHL rookie, has played 30 games over parts of 2 seasons with the Barons. Martindale was Edmonton’s third-round pick, the 61st overall, in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

WELCOME BACK: Antti Tyrvainen returned from a 26-game injury absence on Wednesday and scored a goal at Grand Rapids. He has 2 goals in 11 games this season, his second in North America. Tyrvainen sustained a hand injury Nov. 16 against Milwaukee at the Cox Center.

ALL-STAR ARCO:Barons center Mark Arcobello has been named to the 2013 Dunkin’ Donuts AHL All-Star Classic, to be played Jan. 28 in Providence, R.I. Arcobello is the Barons’ leading scorer among players on the active roster with 11 goals and 22 assists. Arcobello was third among AHL point scorers in December with 3 goals and 14 assists.

SHOT SHEET: The Barons have out-shot the opposition in 5 of the last 6 games by a combined margin of 238-152. Mark Arcobello has 38 shots in the last 6 games. By out-shooting Milwaukee last night 46-29, the Barons have more shots on goal than the opposition for the season, 1,300-1,290. In the past 8 games (starting Jan. 6), the Barons have gone from a -72 shot differential (1,065 against-993 for) to today’s +10.

CHEECHOO, CLARK JOIN THE CLUB:Jonathan Cheechoo and Brett Clark made their Barons debuts on Wednesday at Grand Rapids. Cheechoo signed a Professional Tryout Contract (PTO) on Sunday, while Clark inked an AHL contract Monday. Cheechoo, 32, skated last season with the Peoria Rivermen, whom he led with 25 goals. A veteran of 501 NHL games, Cheechoo won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2005-06 as the NHL’s goal leader with 56. Clark, 36, had played exclusively in the NHL since the 05-06 season. He has logged 681 NHL games with Montreal, Atlanta, Colorado and Tampa Bay. Clark has played 82 games each of the past 2 seasons with Tampa Bay and has NHL 45 goals and 140 assists.